Six takeaways, 27 fourth-quarter points propel Colonels to 4-0

September 12, 2026

Charles Wilson / BartowSportsZone.com

The seventh-ranked Cass Colonels turned a close game into a convincing victory Friday night, scoring 27 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to pull away from Heritage-Catoosa, 41-13, at Jeff Sims Memorial Stadium in Ringgold.

Cass improved to 4-0 with the victory, while the Generals fell to 1-3.

The Colonels overcame an early turnover and a one-point halftime lead before taking control in the final quarter.

Cass sophomore quarterback Noah Rogers fumbled on the Colonels' opening possession, giving Heritage-Catoosa the ball at the Cass 18-yard line. The Generals quickly took advantage when Caden Hight connected with Jacksonville State University signee Brayden Stoker on an 18-yard touchdown pass with 10:36 remaining in the first quarter. Everett Healey's PAT gave Heritage a 7-0 lead.

Colonels’ head coach Steve Gates talked Saturday about the play of his sophomore quarterback.“Noah’s gonna make some mistakes; that’s normal playing an incredibly difficult position and at the level we play, but what I’m seeing is, play by play, he is getting better and better. The confidence level is gradually rising; it’s kind of scary. My expectations for him will keep rising as he gets more and more experience,” added Gates.

Following the Generals’ early touchdown, Cass answered quickly.

The Colonels drove 61 yards in four plays, capped by Kalil Charles' 26-yard touchdown run with 9:09 left in the opening quarter. Anthony Diaz added the PAT to tie the game at 7-7.

Cass then took its first lead after an interception by Xzaveon Turner gave the Colonels possession. Cass drove 58 yards in six plays, including a 31-yard run by Charles, before Rogers connected with Jeremy Barrett on a 20-yard touchdown pass with 4:45 remaining in the first quarter. Diaz's PAT made it 14-7.

Heritage-Catoosa cut the deficit to one in the second quarter with the duo of Hight and Stoker making key connections.

The Generals drove 53 yards in eight plays, with the scoring drive featuring a 22-yard completion from Hight to Stoker before Hight found Stoker again for a 13-yard touchdown. Heritage initially converted the PAT, but a penalty forced a second attempt, which missed wide left.

Although Heritage had some first-half success, Gates commended his corners' work on Stoker as the game progressed.“Xzaevion (Turner) is a head hunter,” said Gates. “He’s playing with a middle linebacker mentality at the corner position, which is not a position known for physicality. Tyson (Beauford) on the other side is the same way; they're both heat-seeking missiles.”

Cass carried a 14-13 advantage into halftime.

The two teams combined for 13 penalties during the first half.

Neither team scored in the third quarter, but Cass' offense came alive in the final period.

The Colonels' next scoring drive began in the closing minutes of the third quarter and covered 83 yards in seven plays. Rogers connected with Turner for 37 yards during the drive, then found Barrett for a 5-yard touchdown on the first play of the fourth quarter. Diaz's PAT extended the Cass lead to 21-13 with 11:55 remaining.

Cass added another touchdown with 7:31 left. The Colonels marched 65 yards in five plays, with Rogers finding tight end Raymond Woodard for a 29-yard touchdown. Diaz's PAT made it 28-13.

Another big defensive play quickly set up the next Cass score.

Demarcus Ballenger intercepted a Heritage-Catoosa pass, giving the Colonels possession. Cass needed only two plays to travel 23 yards, with Rogers connecting with Barrett for a 23-yard touchdown. The PAT failed, leaving Cass ahead 34-13 with 6:35 remaining.

Another Heritage turnover gave Cass possession at the Generals' 26-yard line with 5:25 remaining. Two plays later, Rogers called his own number and ran 19 yards for a touchdown. Diaz's PAT completed the scoring at 41-13.

In total, the Cass defense had six takeaways.  Ballenger, Eli Simmons, Holden Hoopingarner, and Tyson Beauford had interceptions. Beauford and Zack Stiles recovered fumbles. Hoopingarner was credited with a forced fumble.

“We have created more turnovers in four games this season than we did all of last season. The defensive staff has done a tremendous job of working on that aspect of the game, and the players are making the plays,” noted Gates.

He also praised his specialists.

“Our kicker Anthony Diaz and punter Anthony Quijada have done a tremendous job on special teams. They have either flipped the field or been the ones who created the plethora of turnovers we’ve gotten.”

Heritage-Catoosa travels to Gordon Lee on Friday.

Cass will open Region 7-5A play Friday at Villa Rica in a matchup of unbeaten teams. The Wildcats are also 4-0, with victories over Alexander, Hiram, South Paulding, and Seckinger. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

Coach Gates shared his thoughts on the upcoming matchup with Villa Rica.“They are a really good football team with a long tradition of good football. We are going to have to clean up our discipline, or we will be in for a long night.”